Champ Erick Lindgren (ImageMasters)

New Bling for E-Dog

The heads up party didn't last too long as Erick "E-Dog" Lindgren steamrolled Justin Bonomo to win the bracelet in Event #4, $5000 Mixed Hold'em. Lindgren's first place is worth $374,505. Bonomo took second for $230,159. This is Erick's thirteenth WSOP cash and Justin's fourth.

Lindgren looked dominant from the beginning. Plus his round of drinks earned him the good will of the crowd. He whittled down Bonomo's stack hand after hand until Erick had a five to one chip advantage. The final blow came when Lindgren raised $80K pre-flop and Bonomo called. Check-check after the T 5 3 flop. Justin bet out $80K after the 4 on the turn and Erick flat-called. The river was 8. Bonomo bet and Lindgren raised him all in. Justin thought his 5 4 for two pair was good, but E-Dog showed A 2 for the straight, sending Erick and the crowd off to what promises to be an epic party.

Robl-own Away

There will be no more chanting of R-O-B-L in the stands or Soulja Boy-ing in the aisles. Andrew Robl finished the tournament in 3rd place for a payday of $144,337.

Shortly after the table switched to no limit hold'em, Robl moved all in with A 2. Justin Bonomo called with Q 5. The crowd was quite displeased Q 9 8 flop. The turn and the river didn't help Robl, and Bonomo's Queens took down the pot. Robl wasn't too disappointed, earning his first WSOP cash and his highest tournament ranking.

Party Time

Justin Bonomo and Erick Lindgren, but don't despair. Even without Robl at the table, the party atmosphere is still alive and well. Lindgren and Bonomo are both young, popular pros who got their starts playing online. And they both know how to have a good time. I was back in the media room about to post Robl's bust when I heard a huge cheer from the stands. I ran over to see what had happened only to learn that Lindgren had decided to buy a round of Milwaukee's Best Light for everyone in the stands.

Bonomo is in the lead with just under $2 million, and Lindgren is still in fighting shape with $1.34 mil. No matter what happens, both are determined to make the most of playing heads up at a WSOP final table. Usually the party starts after someone wins a bracelet, but tonight they're getting started a little early.

De Wolfe Declawed

Roland de Wolfe was eliminated in 4th place, earning $117,030 and a merciful break from the final table chaos. He raises to $48K from the button and is called by BB Justin Bonomo. Bonomo checks the 8 6 2 flop, then reraises de Wolfe all in. Justin has Roland covered, putting de Wolfe's tournament life on the line. Roland tanks for a bit and calls, showing K 8 for top pair. Bonomo has A 9 - the monster flush draw. The crowd is on its feet and loves the on the turn, but the stands are silenced by the river, the Q. De Wolfe hit the cashier to collect his ninth WSOP check.

Busting de Wolfe boosted Bonomo's stack to over $2 million, giving him a decisive lead.

Dinner Over, Game Over for Rheem

Cards are in the air, and David Rheem is on the rail, finishing in 5th for a payday of $93,624. Rheem began the day as chip leader, but couldn't hold on against constant pressure from Erick Lindgren and Justin Bonomo.

Rheem raises to $50K pre-flop and only BB Roland de Wolfe calls. Both checked the A T 4 flop. After a 9 on the turn and an 8 on the river, Roland checked. Rheem shoved all in, and de Wolfe called instantly, showing J-Q for the straight. Rheem mucked on his way out the door, only stopping long enough to refuse ESPN an interview.

The ESPN crew has had their hands full tonight. As guessed, Andrew Robl's cheerleaders returned from the dinner/hydration break even rowdier. The producer keeps visiting that section, but he doesn't seem to be having much effect. I say give them a break. Poker might not be football, but it's not the spelling bee either (my favorite ESPN2 event other than poker or the women's softball they've played for days in the media room).

In the pause after Rheem left, Gavin Smith came over to the table to chat with Erick Lindgren and the other players. He looked like he was considering taking a seat and playing a few hands, but he thought better of it as the tournament director called for another hand.

Back to poker. There haven't been many exciting hands (though the Robl contingent thinks they're all exciting). Lindgren has increased his chip lead with $1.175 million. Roland de Wolfe has edged out Bonomo, chipping up when he knocked out Rheem. Robl is trailing with $530,000. Just don't tell the audience.

Class Dismissed for the Professor

Last hour, Howard Lederer was down to his last chips when he doubled through David Rheem. This hour, deja vu. Lederer paired his Ace on the flop and was pushed all in by Rheem and his pocket 3s. Unfortunately for Howard, only a few hands after he doubled up, he came out on the other end of the all in moment, earning a trip to the cashier instead of a check mark. Lederer finished in 6th place, winning $74,199.

Lederer raises from the cutoff, Justin Bonomo reraises, and Lederer calls with the majority of his chips. Before the flop is dealt, Bonomo says he had been betting in the dark. Not to be outdone, the Professor says he will bet his last $24K in the dark too. The flop is 2 5 K, and will Howard committed, both players show their cards. It's Lederer's pocket 4s against Bonomo's A-Q. A 5 on the turn pairs the board with Lederer still in the lead, but the K on the river counterfeit's Howard's small pair and ends his run.

Justin Bonomo has retaken the chip lead with Erick Lindgren on his heels. Andrew Robl is far behind, but his fans are certainly the most enthusiastic. Maybe they'll calm down over dinner. But probably not. The players are now on an hour dinner break.

Chip counts to chew on:

Justin Bonomo 1,300,000

Erick Lindgren 1,100,000

Andrew Robl 385,000

Roland de Wolfe 320,000

David Rheem 220,000

Williams Walks

David Williams began the day with a giant stack, but it shrunk gradually over the last few hours. Williams was eliminated in 7th place, earning $58,515. From under the gun, David Rheem raised. Williams reraised, Rheem came over the top, and Williams pushed all in. Williams' A 3 had Rheem's K T bested until Rheem found a Ten on the -less flop. The pair of Tens was good for the pot, keeping Williams from earning a second bracelet. His nearly $60K pay check is nothing to sneeze at, but not nearly as exciting as the $3.5 mil Williams took home when he placed second in the 2004 WSOP Main Event.

Howard Lederer was in bad shape with only $74,000 left, until he doubled up through David Rheem. He is still the short stack with around $160,000. Erick Lindgren has taken the lead with $1 million, followed closely by Justin Bonomo.

Pat Pezzin Busts

After a slow start (not including Haxton's almost-immediate exit), the pace has picked up under the lights in the ESPN poker "arena." Pat Pezzin is the second casualty at the final table, finishing in 8th place ($46,812).

David Rheem raises $24K, Pezzin raises all in to $151K, and Andrew Robl calles all in. With two players tournament lives at risk, Rheem quickly gets out of the way. Pezzin hold A-Q, but Robl has him out-kicked with A-K. The board was useless, and Pezzin is on his way to the cashier. This is Pat's 9th WSOP cash.

The excitement seems to be getting to some of the players. Roland de Wolfe raised to $25K pre-flop and picked up the blinds when the rest of the table folded. He was so busy celebrating his monster victory with the crowd that he missed the next hand.

David Rheem has taken a few big hits, and Justin Bonomo is the new chip leader with $861,000. Howard Lederer is in peril with only $111,000 left. The players are now on a short break while dealers color up the $500 chips.

Haxton Axed

The final table for Event #4, $5,000 Mixed Hold'em, was scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm. In typical poker fashion, the first hand was dealt at around 4:30. It wasn't a heart stopper. Isaac Haxton raised, Juston Bonomo reraised, and Haxton laid it down.

The second hand, on the other hand, had the crowd on its feet. Haxton bet $18K from MP, Erick Lindgren reraised to $60K from the button, and Isaac came over the top with all of his remaining $70,000. Lindgren called with Q-Q, and Haxton showed A-K off. No pictures on the board, and Haxton was done after only two hands at the ESPN final table. The on-line start is most known for his second place finish at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in 2007 (and his rock star hair). This is his fourth WSOP cash and his second appearance at a final table. He took 7th in the $1,000 No Limit Hold'em tournament last year.

David Rheem is still the chip leader with $877,000. David Williams is next with $634,000, and Erick Lindgren is on his way up with more than $460K.

Live final table coverage of Event #4, $5,000 Mixed Hold'em, begins at 4pm Wednesday, June 4th.

Here are the players & their chip counts: